1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a planar-Type plasma discharge display device and a drive method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, as a planar-type plasma discharge display device which employs a so-called matrix display manner of a two-electrode type, which has first and second electrode groups respectively formed by arraying a plurality of parallel electrodes called X electrodes and a plurality of parallel electrodes called Y electrodes, and which performs a target display by a plasma discharge between selected electrodes of both the electrode groups, a plasma panel disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-52802 is known.
In the conventional two-electrode type planar-type plasma discharge display device, whose schematic sectional view is shown in FIG. 11, for example, first and second substrates 51 and 52 each constituted by, e.g., a glass substrate, are opposite to each other with a required interval to interpose a partition wall 53 therebetween, and the peripheral portions of the first and second substrates are sealed by a glass frit or the like (not shown).
For example, a first electrode group 61 formed by arraying a plurality of parallel electrodes is formed on the inner surface of the first substrate 51, and a second electrode group 62 is formed on the inner surface of the second substrate 52 to be perpendicular to the electrodes of the first electrode group 61.
A dielectric layer 54 is stacked on the electrode groups 61 and 62 of both the substrates 51 and 52 by printing or the like, and a surface protecting film (not shown) such as MgO or the like is formed on the surface of the dielectric layer.
A phosphor layer 55 which will emit a visible light by ultraviolet rays generated by discharge is coated on each discharge spatial region constituted by each of the partition walls 53.
In the conventional, general planar-type plasma discharge display device described above, the first and second electrode groups are formed on different substrates, i.e., the first and second substrates 51 and 52, respectively.
Therefore, the setting precision of the positional relationship between the first and second electrode groups is dependent on the precision in forming the electrode groups on the respective plates and the positional relationship between both the plates in joint sealing of the plates. Therefore, at the respective portions, in setting of uniform intervals and positional relationships, the following problems are posed. That is, a high precision cannot be easily obtained, assembling of the planar-type plasma discharge display device requires special attention, and the operability and the yield of planar-type plasma discharge display devices deteriorate.
The present applicant proposed a planar-type plasma discharge display device which attempts to solve the above problems as a "planar-type plasma discharge display device" applied in Japanese Patent Application No. 10-32981.
The schematic perspective view of the planar-type plasma discharge display device is shown in FIG. 12, and the exploded cutaway view of a main part of the planar-type plasma discharge display device is shown in FIG. 13. As shown therein, first and second substrates 1 and 2 are opposite to each other with a required interval, and the peripheral portions of the first and second substrates are frit-sealed to obtain a planar-type structure which is airtightly sealed.
In this display device, first and second substrates 11 and 12 respectively constituted by a plurality of electrodes X (X.sub.1, X.sub.2, X.sub.3, . . . ) and a plurality of electrodes Y (Y.sub.1, Y.sub.2, Y.sub.3, . . . ) are arranged on a common substrate 1.
Terminals T.sub.X (T.sub.X1, T.sub.X2, T.sub.X3, . . . ) led from the electrodes X (X.sub.1, X.sub.2, X.sub.3, . . . ) and terminals T.sub.Y (T.sub.Y1, T.sub.Y2, T.sub.Y3, . . . ) led from the electrodes Y (Y.sub.1, Y.sub.2, Y.sub.3, . . . ) are formed such that the end portions of the electrodes X (X.sub.1, X.sub.2, X.sub.3, . . . ) and electrodes Y (Y.sub.1, Y.sub.2, Y.sub.3, . . . ) are led to sides e.g., two side projecting from the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2.
The first electrode group 11 is formed on the first substrate 1 by planarly arraying a plurality of belt-like parallel electrodes X (X.sub.1, X.sub.2, X.sub.3, . . . ) which extend along one direction, e.g., a row direction and which are arrayed with a required interval, as shown in FIG. 14 as a plan view of a main part of an example.
While, the second electrode group 12 is constituted by electrodes Y (Y.sub.1, Y.sub.2, Y.sub.3, . . . ) constituted by, e.g., belt-like electrode portions A.sub.Y (A.sub.Y1, A.sub.Y2, A.sub.Y3, . . . ) extending along a column direction which crosses or is perpendicular to the extending direction of the electrodes X (X.sub.1, X.sub.2, X.sub.3, . . . ) and discharge electrode portions I.sub.Y.
Under these belt-like electrode portions A.sub.Y, insulating layers 14 consisting of, e.g., SiO.sub.2 are adhesively formed in the forms of belts in a column direction to traverse the row electrodes X, so that the electrode portions are electrically insulated from the row electrodes X, respectively.
The discharge electrode portions I.sub.Y are constituted by discharge electrode portions I.sub.Y11, I.sub.Y12, I.sub.Y13, . . . , I.sub.Y21, I.sub.Y22, I.sub.Y23, . . . , I.sub.Y31, I.sub.Y32, I.sub.Y33, . . . which are arranged to extend between adjacent electrodes X.sub.1 and X.sub.2 and adjacent electrodes X.sub.2 and X.sub.3, . . . from one side of the electrode portions A.sub.Y (A.sub.Y1, A.sub.Y2, A.sub.Y3, . . . ), i.e., left side in FIG. 14, and which are opposite to the electrodes X with a required narrow interval d, respectively.
In FIG. 14, the first electrode group 11 and the discharge electrode portions I.sub.Y of the second electrode group 12 are simultaneously formed out of the same conductive layer. In formation of the electrode portions A.sub.Y of the second electrode group 12, connection pieces 15 are formed to laterally extend from the respective electrode portions A.sub.Y (A.sub.Y1, A.sub.Y2, A.sub.Y3, . . . ). These connection pieces 15 are brought into direct contact with the corresponding discharge electrode portions I.sub.Y (I.sub.Y11, I.sub.Y12, I.sub.Y13, . . . , I.sub.Y21, I.sub.Y22, I.sub.Y23, . . . , I.sub.Y31, I.sub.Y32, I.sub.Y33, . . . ) to be electrically connected to the discharge electrode portions.
FIG. 15 typically shows the relationship between the arrangements of the first and second electrode groups 11 and 12 having the above configuration. More specifically, in this configuration, plasma discharge portions P (P.sub.11, P.sub.12, P.sub.13, . . . , P.sub.21, P.sub.22, P.sub.23, . . . , P.sub.31, P.sub.32, P.sub.33, . . . ) are formed between the discharge electrode portions I.sub.Y (I.sub.Y11, I.sub.Y12, I.sub.Y13, . . . , I.sub.Y21, I.sub.Y22, I.sub.Y23, . . . , I.sub.Y31, I.sub.Y32, I.sub.Y33, . . . ) and the electrodes X (X.sub.1, X.sub.2, X.sub.3, . . . ) which are opposite to one side thereof.
The planar-type plasma discharge display device having the configuration described above solves the above problems by arranging both the first and second electrode groups 11 and 12 on the common substrate.
In recent years, as the performance of displays used in considerably advanced personal computers, office workstations, or hang-up type televisions or the like, a further increase in definition is required.
In order to increase the number of pixels to achieve the increase in definition, the intervals between the electrodes are narrowed, or the widths of electrodes are reduced. However, in this case, unless there exists high precision in the manufacturing time, a decrease in productivity or a decrease in yield occurs. Additional problems such as generation of discharge at an unnecessary portion in a product, degradation of reliability caused by a decrease in withstand voltage, a response speed caused by an increase in resistance of an electrode, and the like may occur.